TRUMP: ‘Beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack’

President Donald Trump spoke Thursday evening from hisMar-a-Lago estatein Florida after the US Navy targeted a Syrian government airfield with Tomahawk missiles, saying it was in the “national security interest” of the US to take action.

“Tonight I ordered a targeted military strike on the airfield in Syria from where the chemical attack was launched,” Trump said. “It is in this vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.”

“There can be no dispute that Syria used banned chemical weapons, violated its obligations under the chemical weapons convention, and ignored the urging of the UN security council,” Trump added. “And we hope that as long as America stands for justice that peace and harmony will in the end prevail.”

Initially opposing military action in Syria, Trump was reportedly swayed by the images of dead men, women, and children among the casualties, and felt compelled to act, according to CNN’s Jim Acosta. He suggested in a press conference Wednesday that the attack had changed his calculus on the situation.

The cruise missiles impacted their targets – reportedly runaways, aircraft, and fuel points for the aircraft – at 8:45 p.m. ET, in what was the first intentional attack on Syrian government targets since its civil war broke out six years ago.

US officials also said that there would be no further strikes “until another decision is made,” according to CNN.

“Even beautiful babies were cruelly murdered in this very barbaric attack. No child of God should ever suffer such horror,” Trump said.